A Question on Classical vs. Acoustic
 

A friend who is wanting to start playing guitar is trying to decide if he wants to go the classical guitar route or acoustic (steel). He understands most of the "technical" differences of the two and differences in music genre being played.

But one question he asked that he couldn't find out (and neither could I) was what percentage of "acoustic" guitar players (i.e. not electric) played classical guitar vs. acoustic (steel). My basic answer was I didn't think it was that many given when you go to a guitar store they mainly sell steel stringed. But he is one of those kind of guys that likes to know this kind of stuff.

So would anybody know what the actual statistics are of the percentage of acoustic guitar players that play classical guitar vs. acoustic (steel)?

Thanks to all you trivia and other "useless" info buffs that maybe can help!!

You may have to post a poll about it on AGF and assume that the respondents will be a representative sample of guitar player.

The results would probably reflect what you see in the stores - that the vast majority of players are not classically trained. Steel strings are more common because the instrument is used a lot in many popular music genres such as folk, country, rock, pop, etc. It is possible to play many songs of these genres at low skill level that don't require the rigour of classical training.

An acoustic guitar is a guitar that produces sound acoustically—by transmitting the vibration of the strings to the air—
as opposed to relying on electronic amplification. The sound waves from the strings of an acoustic guitar resonate through the
guitar's body, creating sound.

That acoustic guitar can have nylon or steel strings.
It's still an acoustic guitar.

Many steel string players also play nylons and vice versa.

So the answer to your question is that there are no reliable statistics to differentiate.

I'm not sure that you'll be able to find out that stat anywhere, but you could try to do a poll here or over in the classical forum.

I don't think the "percentage" matters. It matters what style of music your friend plays and how comfortable he feels with nylon and steel string. i would suggest he goes to as many guitar shops as possible, tries out both nylon and steel guitars. Then make the decision. Of course, he can always change his mind down the road.

There are no such statistics. But as a good proxy, go into the largest guitar store you can find. Count the number of Steel Strings and Nylon Strings.
If a great number of people play classical guitar, guitar stores would carry a lot of classical guitars and vice versa.
The fact is, that the vast majority of popular music created in the last 70 years was played on steel stringed guitars. When people hear a guitar on a radio It most likely is a steel string guitar, to be more specific, most likely a dreadnought shaped one.

While I haven't run across any real statistics, my experience, in round wild guess numbers, is less than 1 in 10 play nylon string. In the US.

I think in the context of the world outside the US, there are a lot of nylon string players. I can't say more than steel but I bet the numbers are closer to 50-50.

Not including electrics of course.

hunter

There are popular musicians that play nylon stringed guitars. Willie Nelson and his old Martin named "Trigger" as an example. They are few and far between. A friend of mine years ago (I was 16, LOL) played a nylon stringed guitar when I was first learning on my steel string jumbo torture device. Strumming doesn't work. The neck is 2" wide. It will never sound like (fill in the blank with your favorite guitar player).

My experience is that many beginners gravitate toward a classical guitar thinking nylon strings will be easier on the fingertips. This fails to take into account the difficulties with a very wide and flat fret-board, which is pretty much the opposite of what a beginner needs. Thanks to Trigger and a few C&W performers with nylon string guitars, you're beginning to see acoustic that have dimensions of a standard steel-string guitar.

Now, maybe your friend really wants to learn classical guitar, which entails a real dedication to finger placement and exercises, a different way to hold the guitar and music that is almost all written in traditional music nomenclature instead of tabs.

I was given a classical guitar by just such a frustrated beginner and I play it about once a week as an avocation, hoping to become more proficient in my music-reading and finger dexterity. My guess that is not what your friend wants to do. Bottom line, buy an inexpensive steel string, get it set up with light strings and low action and then figure out what you really want out of guitar playing.

Comparing the numbers of guitars in stores is relatively meaningless, all the classical guitars are "entry level". The classical guitar culture is really closer to the violin family instruments, and a serious instrument is very expensive.

There are a few prominent nylon string players in western popular music. Jose Gonzalez, the Swedish singer songwriter, plays exclusively nylon guitar. Mark Kozelek (Red house painters, Sun kil moon) switched to nylon string some 10 years ago.

Other than that, Latin and fingerstyle jazz come to mind when thinking about non-classical non-classical nylon string music.

There are crossover guitars, the neck and body shape can be similar to a steel sting, but they are made for nylon strings. Some are said to sound like classicals but with some characteristics of a steel string (more sparkle and overtones than a classical).

Martin, Taylor, and Takamine, among others make them. They are not at an entry level price, at least in my mind, but there are most likely other makers who are, or maybe some can be found used.

Chet Atkins, John Knowles, Ralph Towner, Gene Bertoncini, Earl Klugh are just a few names off the top of my head that play nylon string guitars as their primary guitar.

What kind of music does the student like?

Learn on the type of guitar mostly used for that music.

Thanks for some good comments here!!

Just some added info. My friend has not started taking lessons yet but he has "interviewed" a few guitar teachers and the one he likes has suggested he start on a classical guitar. She recommends that for all her beginner students because for the obvious reasons of ease on the fingers and slightly wider neck. He doesn't know what style of music he really wants to play yet but he has gone to good old You Tube and watched Liona Boyd vs. Tommy Emmanuel and sees the difference in the two. As far as cost is concerned his guitar teacher will rent a classical guitar to him. So his question which is the topic of this post was his curiosity of the "numbers" cause he is that kind of guy.

Personally, I'm not sure I agree with his to be guitar teacher because I didn't learn that way but I'm not a guitar teacher so I don't want to give him my 2 cents and muddy his water.

I would agree with a few repliers here that I think the actual %'s of classical guitar players are pretty low (less than 10 as suggested by one person?) given what I have seen in guitar stores. Also, I did check the numbers of people on the "classical" site of this forum and it was 3% of the people on the "acoustic" forum for whatever that is worth?

Any guitar "sellers" out there that can shed so light on the approx. %'s?

Thanks!!